Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 646 Transferring Power
Park Seung-jong's words left Lee Hun stunned. Those fragmented dream scenes that had been gradually forgotten due to his complete awakening resurfaced under the influence of the words "traitorous party and traitorous minister."

Li Hui was stunned for a long time before finally slumping back onto the folding chair and sighing resignedly.

"..." Li Erzhan was taken aback. He hadn't expected the king to call on him by name after listening to Park Seung-jong's words. "Your subject is here!" he replied solemnly, his heart pounding with fear that the king would order him to go to the Uigeumbu to kill Jiang and Jin at this moment.

"I hereby order you to immediately train the troops and gather the artillery and archer armies to guard Changdeok Palace," Yi Hun commanded. "In addition, send assassins to Gyeongun Palace and, in the name of the Crown Prince, invite Queen Dowager Jeongui and Princess Jeongmyeong to Changdeok Palace."

"Your subject obeys the decree!" Li Erzhan's eyes flickered, and he immediately kowtowed in agreement.

“Li Tinggui.” Li Hui turned his head.

"Your subject is here," Li Tinggui replied, bowing his head.

"Your Majesty," Li Hui paused for a moment, then changed his words, "the Crown Prince hereby appoints you as the Imperial Envoy to receive the Imperial Edict and escort you north to the Muhua Pavilion. You shall depart today."

"Your Highness is wise, I obey your decree!" Li Tinggui replied in a resounding voice.

“Li Erzhan.” Li Hui turned back to look at Li Erzhan.

"The minister is here."

"The Ministry of Rites must quickly prepare the ceremonial guards for the envoy who has received the imperial decree to express his gratitude, and prepare a grand welcoming ceremony in the suburbs according to the regulations for receiving an investiture." Li Hui's voice grew deeper and deeper, like an exhausted old ox forced to continue pulling the plow under the whip.

"Yes!" Li Erzhan added a slight tremor to match the atmosphere. "Your subject obeys the decree."

"Park Seung-jong." When he called out Park Seung-jong's name, Lee Hun subconsciously frowned.

"Your subject is here!" Park Seung-jong tried his best to remain calm.

"Emperor Shun once said, 'If I am guilty, it is not for the sake of the people; if the people are guilty, the guilt lies with me.' I hope Your Majesty will truly spare our family because my son is following the will of Heaven." Li Hui closed his eyes and said with a sigh, "I was so overwhelmed by the supreme power of Heaven that I vomited blood and fainted. From this day forward, all affairs of the country, large and small, shall be temporarily handled by the Crown Prince, and the State Council shall do its utmost to assist him."

"Your Majesty, I will obey your command!" Park Seung-jong suppressed his sudden excitement and, with his voice still trembling with tears, kowtowed three times to the king.

Li Hui was silent for a moment. "Liu Xifen."

"Your subject is here." At this point, Liu Xifen was no longer nervous.

Lee Hun coldly stared at Park Seung-jong's back. "I hereby appoint you as the Chief of the Ministry of Personnel, concurrently serving as the Left Councilor of the State Council, and also as the Minister of the Border Affairs, to assist Park Seung-jong in governing the country."

"Yes!" Liu Xifen's reply was clear and bright.

"Furthermore, Zhang Wan, the Military Advisor, is promoted to Military Advisor and concurrently appointed to the position of Chief of the Border Affairs Department, overseeing military affairs in the capital region. This order is issued in the name of the Crown Prince, and you are responsible for drafting it," Li Hui continued, issuing the order.

"Yes." Liu Xifen glanced at Park Seung-jong secretly.

“Heng’er.” Li Hui’s eyes suddenly softened.

"Your subject is here!" Li Chu's heart was pounding so hard he almost fainted.

"Come here a bit," Li Hui called out.

"Yes." Li Chu crawled two steps on his knees and looked up at his father.

"Get up and sit down." Li Hui patted the empty seat beside him.

"Your subject dares not," Li Chu shook his head.

“Come!” Li Hui said without room for argument.

"Yes." Li Chu stood up shakily, with only half of his buttocks touching the folding chair.

“I know you are a smart and good boy. I am very relieved to entrust the affairs of state to you in the future.” Li Hui held Li Chu’s hand. “But before that, I have a few words to tell you.”

"Please enlighten me, Father." Li Chu's nose suddenly stung with tears.

“Alas. To secure this position, I have killed too many people. Prince Linhai, Prince Jinling, Prince Lingchang, and Prince Yongchang—I personally ordered their deaths.” Upon hearing this, Li Erzhan, who had initially felt some joy, was immediately stunned.

"Father." Li Chu's eyes widened, and his body trembled violently. A single tear slid down his cheek.

“Let me finish,” Lee Hun interrupted him, raising his hand. “These matters have nothing to do with you. I’ll say it again: ‘If anyone is guilty, the guilt lies with me.’ This is my sin, and I will be the one to atone for it. What you need to do is to redress their grievances. Those who died because of the treason case, you must posthumously grant them official titles and restore their honors. Those who were exiled because of the treason case, you must recall them and reinstate their official positions, but don’t take them too seriously. Only then can you sit securely on the throne. All of this begins with Grand Prince Yeongchang and Kim Ti-nam. The first act you must perform well is to welcome the Queen Mother and her daughter. She is very important; you must serve her sincerely, as if she were your own grandmother. Do you understand?”

"Your subject... Your subject understands!" Li Chu replied, weeping.

“Very good.” Li Hui nodded, then looked at Li Erzhan. “And remember this: exoneration is not a reverse process. Those who are alive will definitely turn around and attack those who harmed them. Because you are my son, they won’t dare to openly attack me, but they will attack those who work for me. You must be vigilant and never severely punish those who work for me because of these comments. If you do that, no one will dare to work for you in the future. Even if you have to demote them, you must let them settle down peacefully and have a peaceful life. Do you understand?”

"Your subject will remember your teachings, Father!" Li Zhu wanted to kowtow to his father, but because his arm was still being held, he could only settle for second best and nod heavily to his father.

--------

After that almost imperial edict, the highest authority of the Joseon court was transferred from King Yi Hun to Crown Prince Yi Yok.

Yi Cho originally wanted to spend more time with his father, but Yi Hun didn't want to say anything more, so he kicked him and four other important officials out.

"Lord Yi, the safety of Changdeok Palace rests on your shoulders." Stepping out of the Hajeongdang Hall, Yi Cho bowed deeply to Yi Erchan.
"Take care, Your Highness! I'll be right back." Li Erzhan forced a smile through his solemn expression and returned the message to Li Chu.

“Alright.” Yi Chu nodded, then turned to Yi Tinggui and bowed. “Counselor Yi. Now that the princes and nobles are suspicious of each other, the country is in trouble. The burden on your shoulders is heavy. Please do your best to mediate and make protecting my father your top priority.”

“This humble subject’s defense of the false accusation failed, and I should have been punished, yet I was still favored and employed, for which I am filled with trepidation. Now, having been ordered to go on this mission and to express my gratitude, I will do my utmost to ensure that Imperial Envoy Yuan understands our country’s unspeakable secrets and Your Highness’s arduous efforts in protecting the nation,” Li Tinggui replied, bowing in return. “Thank you for your trouble!” Li Chu bowed deeply again.

"We take our leave." The two Lis knelt and returned the greeting before leaving the hall.

Because of the urgency of the situation, the summoned ministers were allowed to enter the palace directly. At this time, Li Erzhan and Li Tinggui's carriages—a four-person sedan chair and a donkey cart—were waiting in front of the entrance to the Hezheng Hall—the Suzhang Gate.

"To the southern camp," Li Erzhan instructed the sedan chair bearers as he got into the sedan chair.

The Training Command had three garrisons: the South Byeol Camp, the West Byeol Camp, and the Ganghwa Island Camp. Among them, the South Byeol Camp was the core of the Training Command, mainly responsible for the daily training of the Training Command troops, weapons development, and the defense of the capital.

"Yes," the lead sedan bearer immediately replied.

“Brother Deyu, the matter of expressing gratitude to the Emperor is urgent. Let’s go to the Ministry of Rites first!” Li Tinggui, who was about to step onto the donkey cart, stopped and came to the sedan chair when he heard Li Erzhan’s voice.

"It's just along the way. We can stop and say hello when we pass the Ministry of Rites." Li Erzhan lifted the curtain.

“Alright.” Li Tinggui nodded in agreement, but did not immediately return to the donkey cart.

"Brother Shengzheng, do you have anything else to say?" Seeing that Li Tinggui seemed to be deep in thought, Li Erzhan also began to ponder.

“Let’s go along as we go,” Li Tinggui first gestured to his own coachman, then greeted the sedan chair bearer who had responded earlier: “Thank you for lifting the sedan chair!”

"How could I possibly let Brother Shengzheng walk alongside my sedan chair?" Li Erzhan did not agree with Li Tinggui's suggestion, so the sedan chair bearers did not move.

Li Tinggui was taken aback for a moment. "Why bother with all this now? I don't mind, let's go."

“Learning is never too much, and etiquette is never too much. Although your rank is lower than mine, you are not my disciple.” Li Erzhan flicked his sleeves and pointed to Li Tinggui’s donkey cart. “If you don’t mind, I can sit in your cart.”

"Brother Deyu, if you don't mind the crowd, then come on over," Li Tinggui sighed and turned his head.

“Even if your carriage is cramped, it’s still more spacious than Zhang Haogu’s.” Li Erzhan lifted the curtain and stepped out of the sedan chair, followed closely by Li Tinggui into the donkey cart. The sedan chair bearers exchanged smiles, happy to carry an empty sedan chair along.

"To the Ministry of Rites." Li Tinggui greeted the coachman first, then followed up on Li Erzhan's words and asked, "Brother Deyu, have you been getting quite close to Zhang Haogu lately?"

“I wouldn’t say we were close; I only discussed a business deal with him,” Li Erzhan nodded.

"What kind of business?" Li Tinggui pressed on, "Is it related to Jiang Hongli and Jin Jingrui's affairs?"

“No.” Li Erzhan looked at Li Tinggui with a smile. “It’s related to you.”

"What does this have to do with me?" Li Tinggui's expression changed in horror.

"Don't be so nervous, it's not a bad thing." Li Erzhan reached out to grab Li Tinggui's hand, but Li Tinggui reacted quickly and dodged it.

"What exactly is going on?" Li Tinggui leaned back, clearly not wanting to have too much physical contact with Li Erzhan.

"Hehe." Li Erzhan chuckled awkwardly, withdrawing his hand and saying, "We originally agreed that after you returned to Hanyang after clearing your name, we would take the opportunity to promote you to the position of Chief of the Ministry of Rites, while I would step down. Unfortunately, man proposes, God disposes."

"Why?" Li Tinggui was completely baffled. He did have some dealings with Zhang Wan, but they weren't close enough to be considered advisors.

“I’m old and no longer able to do what I’m capable of, so it’s time for me to step down and pass the torch,” Li Erzhan said.

"You brought this up yourself?" Li Tinggui immediately understood Li Erzhan's implication, but he was even more confused. He hadn't forgotten Li Erzhan's aggressive attitude when he ostracized him.

“Yes, I was the one who brought it up with him. It was on the way home from court that day.” Li Erzhan gently patted the carriage seat. “Just like now, it was agreed upon in the carriage.”

"Why?" Li Tinggui asked again.

“Brother Shengzheng, as I just said, I’m old and no longer capable. It’s time for me to step down and pass the position to a more capable person.” Li Erzhan repeated.

“Brother Deyu,” Li Tinggui stared into Li Erzhan’s eyes. “Now that you’ve brought this up, there’s no need to hide it anymore, is there?”

“I’m not hiding anything, I’m being sincere.” Li Erzhan glanced sideways, but quickly looked back at Li Tinggui. “Your Highness’s words just now, Brother Shengzheng, you also heard them. With your intelligence, Brother Shengzheng, you shouldn’t be unaware of their meaning, right?”

"Brother Deyu, do you want to retire while you're ahead and live a peaceful life?" Li Tinggui finally began to believe him.

Li Erzhan slowly took a deep breath. "Yes. Your Highness no longer needs me. It's better for me to step down on my own than to be dragged down and smashed to pieces by someone else. Zhang Haogu will cooperate with me to land safely, and I will find a way to push you up. That's the deal."

“But that guardianship proclamation was only sent to Hanyang today for the first time, wasn’t it?” Li Tinggui said. “How could you have known about it back then?”

“To be a good official, one must be constantly vigilant and thoughtful.” A complex look flashed in Li Erzhan’s eyes. “If I had waited until something like this happened before I started to think about danger and retreat, I wouldn’t be alive today.”

Li Erzhan not only began to think about danger and retreat very early on, but just now, he even considered changing course.

Upon first reading the proclamation, Li Erzhan's initial reaction wasn't fear, but excitement. The emperor was waging war, the Ming army was approaching Hanyang, and the king's throne was certainly in jeopardy. However, for Li Erzhan, the crown prince's maternal grandfather and father-in-law, this wasn't necessarily a bad thing. As long as the emperor didn't change the royal lineage, he could use this connection to maintain his current power. He could even go further and bring the deposed former chief councilor, Zheng Renhong, back to court.

Unexpectedly, King Yi Hun not only abdicated but also took all the blame upon himself, demanding that the Crown Prince change course and reinstate those who had been wronged in the rebellion. This decision was undoubtedly a good choice for the Crown Prince, but for Yi Erzhan, it was tantamount to an ultimatum. As Yi Hun had said, once the victims were reinstated, they would certainly seek revenge; if he didn't withdraw gracefully, he would have no choice but to take desperate measures.

In fact, at the height of the king's emotions, Li Erzhan had seriously considered taking a risk. If the king, in his rage, arrested Park Seung-jong, then Li Erzhan's departure from the city would not be to lead troops to protect him, but to force the king to abdicate. If he succeeded in forcing the king to abdicate, he could gain the double merit of "acting in accordance with the will of Heaven" and "supporting the new emperor."

Unfortunately, Park Seung-jong was not arrested by the Imperial Guards, and even persuaded the king to voluntarily relinquish power before the imperial envoy arrived in the capital. As a result, Yi Er-chan lost his legitimate excuse for a forced abdication and could no longer come up with any other tricks.

(End of this chapter)